Debbie Dance-Uhrig, a local teacher who has penned a cooking/recipe column known as The Covered Dish in The Landmark the past few years--is making a career move.

Uhrig has accepted a job as director/teacher of the new Culinary and Crafts School located inside Silver Dollar City near Branson.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime and my husband Ervin and I just didn’t think we should pass this up,” says Debbie, who has taught elementary music in the Platte County R-3 School District for 25 years.

She was offered the job with Silver Dollar City last Wednesday and accepted it on Friday after turning in her letter of resignation to R-3 that same day.

“It’s an exciting time in my career. I will miss the children of Platte County and the friendships our family has built here. We will always think of Platte City as home. I feel like this community raised us as young professionals,” she said.

Debbie’s column had its beginning exclusively in The Landmark. She then successfully marketed her column to other papers in Missouri and Kansas.

The Covered Dish column will continue to appear in The Landmark even after Debbie assumes her new post with Silver Dollar City. She starts at Silver Dollar City on Sept. 11.

Ervin has worked for Olin Miller Insurance in downtown Platte City for several years. Debbie said Ervin will be training someone to take over his position with the insurance company before he joins the family in Branson. She said her husband has several options for employment in the works but isn’t sure which direction he is headed just yet.

“Ervin’s immediate family is from Springfield, so it will place us closer to family. We are in the process of completing the sale of our home here and will be renting a home in Branson West,” Debbie explained.

She said her conversations with Silver Dollar City began when she was marketing a cookbook she recently had published.

“I first visited the park in early May to see the new project under construction and visit with the director of merchandising. In late June I returned for my book signings at Silver Dollar City and another interview with the CEO and their project designer. I would have liked to have resigned much earlier but it just wasn’t to be,” she added.

“We will be moving very quickly in order to work around book signing events in Kansas and the start of school in Kimberling City for our son, Philip. The last book signing event for Platte City is this Friday, July 25 at the Wells Bank in downtown and on Saturday, July 26 at the Wells Bank (satellite location) next door to Cash Saver.”

“I will still be writing for newspapers, magazines and doing (cooking) demonstrations and book signings. Silver Dollar City has been very gracious to me and they are permitting me to continue these endeavors as long as they are not within 150 miles of the park. My cookbook will be for sale inside the Culinary School and also in Sullivan’s Mill.”

She said the family’s new address will be 166 Queensberry Road, Branson West, MO 65737.
Silver Dollar City will be sending out news releases detailing the situation soon.

“But I felt the family of Platte County needed to hear from me before then,” she said. “After 25 years in Platte County, this is sure going to be a fast change. This is home.”

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